AUSTIN, TEXAS - APRIL 10: Justus Terry at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on April 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas For Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, discussions of developmental timelines for young players typically sounds the same.I think we live in a society of like instant gratification a guys a five star, and theyre supposed to show up and every guys supposed to be a freshman all-American. It really doesnt work like that. Theres a developmental aspect to a player in our program, Sarkisian said on Wednesday in an echo of past comments.Its a maxim that has particular application to offensive and defensive lineman, positions where physical maturity and technical proficiency are at a premium.So it was unsurprising when defensive lineman Justus Terry, a late and extremely expensive coup for Texas in the 2025 recruiting class as the No. 13 prospect nationally and the No. 2 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite rankings, only played 73 snaps as a true freshman.In a vacuum, for the developmental reasons alluded to by Sarkisian, the limited playing time for Terry wasnt necessarily a cause for concern, which heightened when the Georgia product underwent shoulder surgery that caused him to miss most of spring practice, critical reps for a young player.But now Terry is back on the field for the start of preseason camp more than 20 pounds heavier than he was as a freshman and facing heightened expectations from his head coach, who included the 65, 289-pounder on a short list of second-year players poised to take a huge step forward for the Longhorns.This is a big moment for them to see where theyve gotten from year one to year two, and we need them, right? Sarkisian said. As we tried to get older as a team, were still relatively young. I think were like the fourth youngest team in the country. Its crazy, I go to the portal and Im still young, so were going to be counting on those guys to contribute for us.On Thursday, senior defensive tackle Hero Kanu increased the expectations put on Terry.Hes doing well. One of the guys Im probably most impressed with hes definitely a generational talent, Kanu said. Id say really, really good guy. Obviously, hes got to stay healthy and everything, and hes got to make sure hes doing his job, coming along, following the lead, and hes gonna be just fine.Early physical development gave Terry the power and play strength to win at the point of attack along the defensive line, complemented by heavy hands. Those attributes combined with his quick-twitch athleticism and prototypical size, Terry became one of the nations most coveted prospects thanks to a ceiling that could make him a future first-round pick if he fulfills his potential.View LinkWhen you talk about size and athletic ability, at the end of the day you can have all the talent in the world, but it can only get you so far. So youve got to be out there making plays and gotta put your potential to use, but Ive got high expectations for him, Kanu said.Two major developments point towards Terry become an impact contributor in a deep defensive line group for Texas this season the weight gain that allowed him to go from an oversized defensive end to a credible weight for a defensive tackle and the hire of Will Muschamp at defensive coordinator.Kanu couldnt disclose the variety of defensive line packages the Horns will employ in 2026, but Muschamps aggressive, penetrating style fits Terrys athleticism and the need to frequently rotate players means plenty of available snaps rather heavy reliance on a few front-line players.By late last season, Terry had already started to flash, making four tackles in seven snaps against Georgia and getting quick pressure on Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed to produce the game-sealing interception by Michael Taaffe late in the fourth quarter.Michael Taaffe picked off a pass against A&M last year. This one just a smidge bigger. What a fitting way for him to go out. #HookEmpic.twitter.com/PVj2IL6OGI Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) November 29, 2025Call that a glimpse into a generational talent.